


Autumn

by Aeris_Blue



Series: Seasons of Grillster [1]
Category: Undertale
Genre: Anxiety, Autumn, M/M, Post Pacifist Ending, Return of Gaster, fall - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 19:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16290761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeris_Blue/pseuds/Aeris_Blue
Summary: It has been a while since Grillby was visited by Doctor Gaster and when they last spoke there were far too many questions left unanswered.





	Autumn

**Author's Note:**

> So those that read my regular Gaster don’t get confused others can understand him speaking in this one.

Grillby rubbed the back of his neck, he’d never been nervous to knock on their door before- or any door for that matter. Sparks rained away from him as he lifted his fist to knock. Once, twice. The soles of his shoes squeaked against the concrete entryway as he fidgeted, maybe they weren’t home? He knew that they’d been traveling a lot since the Doctor revealed his secret. His fingers combed at the flames atop his head, what was he really wanting from this?

The door ripped open in front of him with such force that his flames followed its’ path, “oh hello Grillby!” Papyrus sang, “want me to get Sans?” His expression dropped as annoyance drifted into his tone, “he’s still asleep.”

Grillby shook his head, “I was actually wondering if Doctor Gaster was home.” His soul tickled the edge of his core. Gaster hadn’t been to the bar since he made up with his kids, obviously if Grillby was important to him he would have come back by now, wouldn’t he?

“Hey Dad! Grillby wants to see you!” As Papyrus stepped away from the entryway Grillby could see how dark they kept the house. Even the Christmas lights they kept up all year, though currently a seasonal orange, weren’t on. It must be a bad day. Grillby was suddenly very aware of his subtle glow as it pierced through the dark of the house.

“Come on in!” Papyrus shouted from further in.

Grillby’s shoulders scrunched towards his jaw, he’d been in their house a dozen times this wasn’t any different. He exhaled as he sat on the couch, they’d recently replaced the broken mess of a green couch with a considerably nicer gray one. Between Papyrus’s mascot work and Sans’s contributions to the science department in the local college they weren’t doing to bad for themselves.

Papyrus flopped into Sans’s bean bag chair, “sorry we sort of overdid it on our last trip,” his eyes became distant, his face had a maturity Grillby wasn’t used to seeing, “but he’ll be up shortly!”

Grillby gave a simple nod as a thought itched at his mind, “has he mentioned me?”

Papyrus thought on the matter, “not really no.” His flames dimmed, this was a mistake then, he ran his fingers across his flames. “Do not worry! Dad has just been trying his best to live in the moment, he doesn’t normally speak about anyone that isn’t around him.”

A silence fell between the pair as Papyrus watched the flickering glow off of the Eternal Flame who was in turn staring deep into the dark corners of the room. “Sans and I are going to install some dimmer switches soon so we won’t have to turn the lights all the way off,” Papyrus informed him, “even though we all see most excellently in the dark it sort of makes the room more- of the less happy persuasion?” he tried. His head tilted down to the floor as he quietly added, “besides I don’t think this much darkness is good for him either.”

“No, I have to admit it probably isn’t but when the alternative has such strong repercussions it’s hard not to indulge,” Gaster casually leaned against the back of the couch, “good morning Grillby,” his tone was considerably lighter than the last time they’d spoke. Something in his flames brightened to see the soft quiet smile on the older skeleton’s face.

“Good morning Doctor Gaster,” Grillby replied softly. 

The skeleton hid his smirk behind his hand, “just Gaster please. I fear my title of Doctor is no longer valid.” He sat on the opposite end of the couch but turned to face Papyrus.

“What brings you here Grillby?” Gaster didn’t look over as he addressed the flame, perhaps he was still too bright.

“I was wondering,” stars, any butterflies that could possibly be in his stomach should be incinerated, “if you wanted to do something together?” 

Gaster blinked, he obviously hadn’t been anticipating the request. A small chuckle escaped him, “why on earth would you want to do that?”

Grillby flinched at the question, was that not something he would have asked before? He had no idea what his relationship with this monster really was he just knew he felt different around him.

“Grillby is probably feeling left out because we went to the beach without him!” Papyrus smiled earnestly.

“That’s not exactly my ideal trip,” Grillby rubbed the back of his neck, “but-” He looked down as his hands clasped together, “you said we were basically brothers right? I just- if that’s the case I’d like to spend some time with you.” Gaster leaned back in the couch and hummed through clenched teeth, “if it’s a bad day I understand.”

“No, no,” Gaster shook his head, “it’s your one day off a week, it happens to be overcast without a chance of rain, and yet still warm enough for you to be comfortable. It’s not a coincidence you waited until now, you probably saw the weather this morning and it resolved your decision.” He folded his hands in his lap, “if we put it off this ideal situation might not ever occur again.”

Grillby’s flames pulled in towards his core, yeah, that was it exactly. The former Doctor chuckled again, “sorry, I hit the nail on the head didn’t I? You’re so easy to read Grillby.” The fire in question pressed his glasses to his face in mild embarrassment.

“Well then let's not waste such an alignment of the stars shall we?” Gaster rose to his feet, goodness he was tall, and Grillby mimicked the gesture.

“Where are you going to go?” Papyrus’s features were suddenly twisted with worry, “I can accompany you if you’d like!” His regular bolster was back in his voice.

“Just for a walk,” Grillby shrugged, “I’m an old monster I don’t need to do much.”

“I have my phone on me Papyrus and I’m in good company,” his eyelights slid over Grillby, “you don’t need to worry, though, I know you will regardless.” Papyrus looked border line guilty as he shifted in his loafers.

When they left the house Papyrus watched them until they couldn’t see him anymore and then probably for a while after that. The two didn’t speak as they walked down the trail from the skeleton brother’s house and into Camp but it wasn’t a cold or awkward silence, it felt familiar between them as they focused on their way into the woods. The trees stood tall around them with dark bark and orange leaves that fell to greet them. A gentle breeze pressed through the trees and tugged at the knit black poncho Gaster was wearing.

Gaster paused as the leaves from the ground caught wind to meet them, his long boney fingers snatched a leaf right out of the air before the breeze settled. He traced the stems along the snagged leaf and out to the edge. It was a vibrant orange around the ends and a half changed yellow at the center, he turned the leaf to face Grillby, “it looks like you,” he smiled brightly.

Grillby felt his flames burn warmer as he inspected the leaf, “I look nothing like that,” he tried.

Gaster chuckled, “no I suppose not.” His fingers rubbed against each other and the leaf twirled in response, “I missed the wind so much in the Underground,” he looked up to the sky. “Just the idea that things could move and change in a moment as it tucked through valleys and hills to tug at your cape, the scent of air carrying fractals of ozone with it,” he looked down at the leaf, he nodded his head to it as if it had asked a question, “I didn’t think I’d ever feel it again.”

“The sun,” Grillby supplied. “I lived in Hotlands for a while because my core couldn’t get used to the dark and cold of the Underground but it wasn’t the same. I feel brisk and light in the sun’s glow, energized, and healthy.” 

He shrugged, “Hotlands was overwhelming I felt heavy and lethargic, I didn’t want to do anything. It made me irritable,” he grimaced. “I lived in the Underground for so long I forgot I missed the sun’s rays.”

“You do seem a lot healthier then the last time I saw you, I guess I got used to your flames not being so,” he studied Grillby, “mobile.”

Grillby’s fleck like white eyes grew soft under his glasses, “I guess I do let them get a bit unruly.”

“It looks good on you, proud even,” the leaf vanished into Gaster’s inventory. Grillby watched the skeleton as he sauntered further along the trail a bit dazed by the warmth in his cheeks. He combed his fingers through his flames and felt them snap around his fingers in quiet kisses. Proud, huh? He trotted ahead to catch up with the black clad monster.

The path they were on wound straight to the outskirt of town and left the pair over a cliffside view of the city sprawled below it. Gaster crouched onto the edge then swung his legs to dangle over the city below. Grillby sat beside him with a subtle distance between them. “How did we meet?” Grillby asked quietly.

The monster gave a sad attempt at a smile, “I walked into your bar after realizing there was no hope of being remembered, surely you haven’t forgotten already?” Something fathomless in its complexity played in the darkness of his sockets.

Grillby chest heaved a quiet breath. There were so many questions he wanted answers to but he could tell he wasn’t going to get any. He just wanted the pounding in his soul to have a meaning, anything that could explain why he felt held underwater since he met the monster. ‘No, I didn’t forget that,’ his hands signed slowly.

His gaze fell to the city below as a chilling edged quiet caught in the air between them and struck harshly into him. The wind tugged against them, their clothes fluttered on the element’s whim, as the updraft off the roofs of the buildings below warmed the breeze.

“Do you want to do something?” Gaster‘s sockets sat half lidded as he stared down at the buildings.

Grillby looked up with thought, “there’s a museum in town you might like. They recently incorporated a monster wing that chronicles our time in the Underground.”

“No,” he stated flatly, “what would you like to do?” Grillby’s flames stilled in his confusion, “I just want to see as many smiles from the monsters I know well before-” He looked down at his fingertips, his eyes reached far past them into the shadows of the city. “So what do you want to do?” He did a skeleton’s best impression of a swallow as he brought himself back to the present.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “there’s a food truck gathering that meets at the end of every month. I’ve been meaning to get down to it but it’s rare it falls on my day off.”

“Well then let's do that,” he curled his legs back onto the cliffside with a neutral expression.

“Gaster there’s going to be a lot of humans,” Grillby tried.

“I’m fine,” he stated simply.

“You still can’t eat human food so there won’t be anything for you to do,” Grillby explained.

“I can try and if not I’m sure I can find something,” he countered.

“Where there’s a lot of humans it’s loud-”

“Is this something you want to do?” Gaster’s eyelights brightened as he glared challengingly at Grillby.

“Well yes but-”

“Then we are doing it,” Gaster left no room for argument as he took off down the cliffside path.

This was going to be a terrible idea, Grillby berated to himself, Papyrus was going to give him a verbal lashing when Grillby had to drag a bereft overwhelmed skeleton back home. He’d yet to see one of these breakdowns directly but he’d heard about them from Sans. Even after Sans accepted Gaster’s story the skeleton seemed on guard about the situation. He was clearly uncertain as to what exactly he should be doing with this curveball thrown in his life.

Grillby understood entirely. Here was a monster that he allegedly had an exceptionally close bond with but aside from a few vague impressions here and there he had no idea how he should be responding. That was the real problem wasn’t it? Gaster hurt knowing everything about monsters that barely had any idea of who he was past his name. So they’d try their best to remember things that ‘never really happened’ but were still pressed to their souls somehow.

How many times had he followed this monster down a perilous path? Grillby was a considerably stronger monster and yet he felt he’d be insulted if he paved the path for Gaster. Why did he feel that way though? Had it happened or was his mind just making up scenarios that hadn’t ever occured? It was frustrating to think over and harder to decide how to respond.

“This way,” Grillby pointed as the skeleton looked between the streets. They could hear the crowd far before they saw it but it wasn’t until it came into view that Gaster froze. His fingers moved towards the sleeve of his black shirt as he observed the amount of humans around. “We can do something else,” Grillby proposed.

“Don’t worry about me,” the skeleton smile was a bit too genuine, “just have fun.”

“Okay, just tell me if it gets bad alright? Or if there’s anything you’d like to try,” Grillby smirked. Gaster nodded in agreeance but as Grillby pushed into the denser crowd he found he was alone. His flames crackled as he made a wide sweep for the other monster. Luckily the limby skeleton was rather easy to pick out.   
Gaster was frozen in place madly fidgeting his fingers through the handmade poncho. Bright white eye lights were shrunk down to pinpricks as he tried desperately not to look at anything past the tips of his shoes. He sealed his sockets tight as Grillby approached, “I want to be here okay?” He bit out desperately, ‘I can do this,’ he signed to himself.

Grillby didn’t think about it he just reached his hand out and wrapped it softly around the Gaster’s,“just hold my hand okay?”

Gaster looked down to the hand in his then up to the fire holding it, a look of awe spread across his features before it dropped in a quiet agreeance. The skeleton seemed considerably more content with his hand in Grillby’s and the flame had to admit something about it felt right. His fingers traced against each niche in the skeleton’s joints, he found he knew where each divot was. 

Grillby’s appetite was literally bottomless, he went up to a few vendors and asked for their best selling item but it wasn’t long before he couldn’t balance anymore of the paper plates he was handed. Gaster however had several hands at his disposal, onyx black hand bullets lightened Grillby’s load without any prompting. Grillby stared in awe at the magic for a moment before he went back to making his rounds. He really didn’t even know what he’d gotten until they sat at the end of the furthest picnic table.

Grillby shuffled the plates around to get a better look at the spread of food: tiny tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, several deep fried foods that were impossible to tell what they were now, some chicken with a bright yellow orange sauce over a bed of rice, a funnel cake, a chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick, and some cheesy nachos that were more cheese than chip. 

He scanned over the items in an attempt to find where to start. He saw the Doctor’s eyelights doing the same, “what kind of food do you like?”

His face caught a tint of gray as he looked away from the food, “I like snack foods of an unhealthy persuasion. I have this friend whose a really good cook but it tends to be a little on the greasy side.” Grillby was disappointed that it took a moment to recognize he was the one being referenced. He looked over the mystery assortment of fried foods, then cracked a particularly dark piece open to reveal the chocolate cookie and creme inside. 

“Sweets?” He asked, the skeleton shrugged. “Try this,” he handed half of the deep fried cookie to the other monster who held it gingerly between the tips of his fingers. Gaster inhaled as he pressed the cookie to his teeth and bit down slowly. It dropped out from his chin and landed in his lap, his face darkened in embarrassment, or was that shame?

“Sorry,” he picked the piece out of his lap and set the cookie down. 

“That’s alright, here,” Grillby wrapped his hands around the other half of the cookie and allowed his magic to flow out of his flames then into the cookie half. It was a little tiring to apply magic into already finished food, it never integrated thoroughly either, but it should be enough. “Here try again,” Grillby extended the cookie, before the monster could object Grillby shot him a look of encouragement.

Gaster bit into the cookie again and his eyelights brightened, his teeth curled up towards his sockets, “it’s sweet, really sweet. Thank you,” he glanced sheepishly to Grillby who tilted the edge of the chicken and rice plate towards his mouth.

Pink began to dance into his flames as he took in the earnest expression, “no problem,” he quickly tilted the rice and chicken plate towards his mouth to hide his face. 

Grillby could feel his flames dance around him as he ate, they grew a bit brighter too. He still reeled at how different human food was compared to monster food. It came in so many varieties and shapes, with flavor combinations Grillby wouldn’t have ever dreamt of. He’d pause in his assault of the plates if he found something he particularly liked then inbed it with enough magic for Gaster to try.

The deep fried pickle spears was exceptionally tart and with a mischievous flicker in his flames he passed one to Gaster. The monster caught the look, he knew all of Grillby’s tells, but still he bit into the spear. His face contorted as much as his skull allowed as he recoiled from the crisp sour taste. Grillby’s flames crackled like a campfire as they snapped in the air with laughter. The skeleton smiled bashfully at the sound as he discreetly placed the rest of the spear under the table.

Grillby delighted in every joyous expression the skeleton gave, the way his eyelights sparked, the way his mouth curled into a u shaped smile, how he straightened his back at each happy bite. He had the distinct impression he’d wanted to see the monster like that for a long time, as if his soul remembered every detail of it even if his mind couldn’t. Grillby felt warm from the innermost part of his core to the reaching tips of his flames, had he ever felt like this?

“So, Grilby,” Gaster’s voice lulled as Grillby reached for the pulled pork sliders topped in coleslaw, “why do all of the humans come down here to eat?”

“They all come down here at the end of fall because a bunch of local bands get together for concerts-” Grillby blinked, oh he hadn’t thought about that.

“What’s a concert?” Gaster tilted his head slightly to the right as he thought.

“Humans get together and play music,” Gaster seemed to consider this but Grillby shook his head, “they have a bunch of amplifiers that make it really loud.”

“Oh,” Gaster looked down at the piles of powder sugar that now decorated the table.

“I just wanted to try the food though,” Grillby waved the idea away, “I’m a bit too old fashioned for the music these days anyways.” The skeleton probably thought he hid the relief that washed over his frame at the comment. The pair made quick work cleaning up the plates then dusting off the table and left it in better condition than they found it in. 

Before Grillby even thought about it Gaster place his boney palm against Grillby’s, the crowd was thicker now than it had been. The pair were also getting a lot more curious glances then they had been. Gaster hunched down to Grillby’s height and did his best to hide behind the shorter flame. Grillby squeezed his hand and found a streak of magenta roll through his flames when he received a soft squeeze back.

He smiled back to the skeleton who had his other hand cupped over his teeth and eye sockets squeezed shut. There were a lot of eyes pointed there way, a lot of voices, bodies brushing against them, and he wasn’t the only one who noticed this, boney fingers dug at his hand. He turned back to face the monster but kept walking towards the edge of the food truck circle, “I’m right here, it’s going to be okay.”

Grillby couldn’t hear what the monster said in response as the amps on the stage, now far behind them, hummed to life. Gaster flinched, his knees seemed to give out momentarily as he staggered forward but Grillby supported him. He wrapped both of his hands around the skeleton’s and pushed through the crowd without any care for rudeness or impressions. He heard muttering about monsters but he refused to focus on it until finally there was enough breathing room between them and the crowd to feel the wind again.

“Just a little further Gaster than we can rest okay? Just a little longer,” he repeated over and over until all they could hear was a quiet roar of a crowd being warmed up before the performance. They tucked into a dark alley and Gaster promptly dove behind the backside of the dumpster to curl in on himself.

The skeleton’s ribs stuttered as he attempted to find a rhythm for breathing as black tears began to sit in his sockets. Grillby swallowed hard uncertain as what to do in this situation, he pulled out his phone. He didn’t know but Papyrus would be willing to help, he fidgeted through his contacts, “don’t call them please,” Gaster choked. “Please,” he begged. 

“Gaster I don’t know what to do,” Grillby responded softly.

“Not that, please,” he pressed his forehead into his knees, “I want to tell them I had a good time out with my best friend. That nothing bad happened.” He was rattling now, the trash can he was hiding beside released a somber metallic echo that only made his shuddering worse. 

Grillby’s grip tightened on the phone before he shoved it in his pocket, “you can’t stay here,” he prompted. With a sigh he reached over and pulled the monster away from the trash can and against his chest. His bones jittered against his flames in swift jabbing motions as he rattled but it was considerably quieter without the aluminum trying to drown him out. 

“Nothing bad even happened,” Gaster bemoaned, “I’m not supposed to be like this.”

Grillby’s soul was stinging at him in its’ distress but he wasn’t for sure what he was supposed to do, “you just went through something incredibly traumatic, it would be worse if you were just fine.”

“No it wouldn’t! Then no one would worry about me and I could not- not- do this at every loud noise or bright light or just- just cause,” he sobbed. “I can’t keep doing this to everyone! You all feel obligated to help me because you forgot but it’s my fault you forgot, you don’t even know me!” He pushed himself off of Grillby’s lap and stood on shaky legs against the wall. 

He didn’t know what to say to that, he didn’t know what to do. Just moments ago the monster was smiling brighter than Grillby could ever glow. His flames pulled close to him as he reached into his soul, he knew what to do. He felt the breakdowns weren’t really that new, it was more like an old habit that he’d finally pushed away, just for it to come back. His fingertips dug at his chest just over his soul, somewhere deep inside he knew exactly what to do.

He rose to his feet and wrapped his arms under the skeleton’s and placed his hands against the monster’s sternum, his elbows sat out from his ribs so his hands were the only thing touching him, don’t restrict his movement, hummed in his mind. He rested his chin against the monster’s shoulder, “who am I to you?” Change the subject.

Gaster’s rattling stilled, his chest still heaved in all consuming breaths as he leaned against the side of Grillby’s face, “you really were my best friend, my brother through bonds we forged with blood, dust, hope, and tears.” He inhaled sharply as he locked his bones into place.

“Why doesn’t it feel like that?” Grillby whispered. “When I’m with you I feel- different. When I see you smile my whole core warms up, when your scared I feel completely lost, and I’ve been thinking about you since you left my bar with Sans and Papyrus.” He pressed his hands against the monster’s ribs, he could almost feel the soul in his chest slowly cease its’ panicked pulses.

His sockets fell half lidded as he turned his head to look at Grillby, “that’s all we were but,” he smiled sadly, “I’d always thought you felt more than that.” He placed his hands on top of Grillby’s, “I’m not an affectionate monster, until the boys I didn’t know it was even in me to be kind, but you saw it in me, you always did.” His fingers curved along Grillby’s to trace the subtle phantom texture to them, “I can’t make you happy Grillby but I’m glad to hear you think of me.”

“Why can’t you?” With his soul still Grillby pulled him close enough for his own soul to be felt against the skeleton’s shoulder blade, “I don’t even know you yet and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

“Because I’m just visiting,” he turned his head away, “I’m sure it won’t be long before I’m back there.”

“Where?” Gaster let go of Grillby’s hands and the flame dropped his grip. The expression on the monster’s face said everything for him, “you’re joking right? You’re here. You’re back. Nothing is going to happen to change that.” The smile he was given sent a shard of ice straight through his tongue, he was rendered speechless. 

“Grillby please,” he grabbed the monster’s hands with such a delicate touch Grillby was uncertain as to which one of them was truly made of glass, “I just want to see everyone I love smile with me, so maybe I won’t give up next time.” The off white of his skull was tainted with a trail of black tears as he pulled away.

From deep inside of his core Grillby laughed, it rippled through him and out every tongue of flame that leapt from him. His form shook with a twisted frightened mirth that he wasn’t aware he possessed. Black tears welled in Gaster’s sockets as he watched Grillby’s fit, “I’m sorry all of this was a mist-” Whatever he was going to say was cut off when Grillby cupped his mouth against Gaster’s.

It was clumsy and awkward with neither of them possessing the means to deepen the contact but neither of them had the strength to pull away. The chill that escaped from behind the skeleton’s teeth was refreshing against his blistering inner heat. He found his hands around Gaster’s hips as he pulled him closer, his soul had wanted this for so long. His flames twisted in curves around the skeleton’s chilly bones heating them as they met. 

Their souls pressed magic against one another until finally Gaster pushed Grillby away. Neither of them were beings that truly needed to breath but both of them were taking their time as they caught their breath to stare the other one down. “Sorry,” Grillby smirked, “where were you going?”

“N-nowhere,” Gaster pressed to the end of a breath.

Grillby nodded his head a few times, “good.” Neither of them could move, they had no idea what they were supposed to do but they soaked in the others’ image as the carved the moment onto their souls. 

“Wanna go for a walk?” Grillby proposed. The skeleton nodded and eagerly reached for his hand more than happy to close the gap between them. Grillby rose the boney fingers up to his mouth then tapped them softly.

Gaster rubbed his face, “this is really weird.” That simply happy smile was back on his face but with the addition of a gray tint Grillby found absolutely endearing. 

The flame did his best impression of bouncing the eyebrows he didn’t have, “so was this a date then?” Gaster laughed wholeheartedly, it was so odd, the pitches were in all the wrong places and it resembled grinding metal more than an actual laugh but it was so distinctly him. Gaster didn’t answer the question but his light frame leaned against Grillby’s shoulders as they walked out of town.

The journey back was completely different than the walk there, they filled the air with chatter of anything that came to mind. Gaster was also much more open about the past now as they strolled through the trees. Anything Grillby could think of asking was answered without a beat of hesitation, “wait so you were there when Asgore kindled me?”

“Stars, I wouldn’t put you down! I was fascinated by the mere concept of a living flame,” he chuckled, “I thought I was an adult at the time so I saw you like a son. It took me years to find out why Gerson and Toriel thought it was so cute!” Gaster had been there since the very beginning and Grillby never even knew. 

As they approached the doorstep to the skeleton brother’s house their hands pressed against one another as they took in the sensation of the others grip. Gaster locked his sockets onto Grillby’s eyes and leaned in, one more kiss, but it wasn’t one that said goodbye as their magic hummed together they could hear it: ‘I am found’.

“Thank you Grillby,” Gaster spoke softly as he pulled away.

Grillby smiled as he finally unwrapped his round fingers from Gaster’s spindly ones, “I’ll see you next Sunday, stargazing was it?”

Gaster’s cheeks tinted with gray, “sounds wonderful.” His hand slipped uselessly over the doorknob as he failed to turn the knob. He chuckled nervously to himself before he finally faced the door to push it open, “I’ll probably come by the bar before then though,” he spoke quietly afraid to be overheard.

He brightened, “it would make my night.” Gaster covered his teeth as he slowly pushed the door shut.

Grillby couldn’t stop smiling as he walked away from the skeleton’s household. He felt younger than he had in ages, his soul pulsed with happy wave after happy wave even after the house was out of view. The beaten path before him twisted under his foot as it met a slick texture, he leaned down to inspect the dark purple leaf with near black veins in it tainted with just the slightest trace of red.

He picked it up off the ground and exhaled a short laugh of air as he looked around. None of the nearby trees even had a hint of the dark purple that painted the leaf. He pressed his fingers against one another and smiled. Grillby pulled out his phone and took a picture: it looks just like you…

Grillby barely got to the next line of trees when his phone buzzed in his hand: IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE ME.

He ran his thumb over the capital letters and found himself glowing brightly against his surroundings. A gentle wind tugged his flames into sparks and inspired the sun to peak down at him from behind the clouds.

**Author's Note:**

> I am 25 years old and have been writing off and on my entire life... this was my first ever kiss scene haha- yeah...
> 
> Been messing around with a couple of different ideas for potential follow up stories to my main one. I liked this idea but I don’t see it fitting in but gosh dang it I’ve wanted to try writing Grillster. I think I’m much better at keeping them skirting around their feelings but this was fun!


End file.
